Tom/hen ratios.

[birdmanwa]

Does anyone know if there is a ratio for Toms to hens that is considered "healthy" population. It seems every year the birds are henned up later and later. Heck I think some birds have hens all season long in parts of the state. I mainly hunt the NE for reference. It seemed before the big winter kills, it was very easy to find bachelor groups of toms. Not saying too many hens are a bad thing I just wonder if the population balance is off?

[DOUBLELUNG]

Turkey populations are usually close to 1:1.  Gobblers experience the majority of mortality during the spring breeding season, whereas hen mortality is more spread out through the nesting and brood rearing seasons.  Thus the proportion of toms is lowest at the end of breeding (spring season).  Higher numbers of hens with toms later in the spring season usually indicates an increase in nest predation and/or loss of hatchlings to cool wet weather, predation and/or starvation (low bug numbers at hatching during colder than normal springs).  Most hens that lose first clutches/broods will renest, typically with smaller clutch sizes, but they are likely to distract toms later in the season.  When nest predation rates are low, most of the hens will be incubating by the first week of May and there will be few hens to be seen, making toms travel more and easier to call in. 

[birdmanwa]

Turkey populations in the NE are not 1:1. There will be toms with 10-20 hens all season most of the time and it really started after those big winter kills. I'm just curious what/if there are any management strategies for turkeys. Granted our state probably won't do anything or care but I'm just curious.

[Bofire]

*censored*, in the winter I see more like 100 hens to Toms.
Carl

[zwickeyman]

In the Quilomene this year for me 2 Toms to every Hen

Up by Colville this year  1 Tom to about 10-12 Hens

[Big game archer]

I hunt the NE corner as well. While i do see some toms who have 20 hens to themselves, I also see groups with twice as many toms as hens. I've also seen more jakes this year than i've ever seen before, so there should be lots of toms next year again.

[Britt-dog]

14-0, Should be fun hunting 2 year olds next year.

[buckcanyonlodge]

There are always groups of hens that do not breed. See it every year...up close and personal. The toms will hang around them after the breeders start sitting on nests.

[PA BEN]

1/2 the season I had one tom with 21 hens roosting above the house now these a lot more hens and 3 more Tom's and a bunch of Jakes.